avocado8

Fueled by Futureshakes

I'm on my second week at my new job, and it's been interesting so far. It's a bit harder to get rolling remotely when you don't already know the team and its procedures, as I did when I contracted for Macromedia from Philly and later returned to Adobe full-time after the merger, but I think I've been doing fairly well. My to-do list is huge—there appears to have been some pent-up demand for someone in my position—but I'm starting to knock things off, if not as fast as things are put on, then at least with increasing speed and confidence.

I'm looking forward to my first office visit, which takes place next week, to really get up to speed. (I doubt very much that I'll make it up to San Francisco while I'm there, but I'm making plans to meet Winsha for some skating sessions near the office in San Mateo.) I've also booked my trip to Boston for The Ajax Experience in Boston at the end of September, where I hope to talk with toolkit developers, JavaScripters, and Aptana Studio and Jaxer users (geekfest!) and hand out a few t-shirts. Look for me if you'll be there; I can't guarantee what color my hair will be, but I think I'll be hard to miss.

On the homefront, I've got a backlog of Beaner updates to post, family adventure photos to share, and food to describe. Taking the last point first: I've been on a shake kick lately, which seems to be both keeping me going physically, sharpening my focus mentally, and getting me out of the eat-everything-in-sight rut I'd been in. The "My Saved Meals" column on my daily plate is now filled with items such as Sir Strawberry Shake, Green Velvet Shake, Strawberry C Monster Shake, and my personal standby favorite, the Chocolate Future Shake.

The Future Shake is named after the Odwalla product that was available until a few years ago, when they ruined it (IMHO) by turning it into a high-protein shake. My version's a bit less sweet and slightly thicker, but it's very reminiscent.

Homemade Chocolate Future Shake

1 T. protein powder (I use soy-free veg, but any unflavored protein powder will do)
2 T. rolled oats or multigrain cereal
1 T. ground flaxseed
1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Trader Joe's organic)
1/2 c. crushed ice
1 c. Odwalla Mango Tango
2/3 c. plain soy milk

Spoon protein powder, cocoa powder (I tend to use heaping tablespoons of these), oats, and flaxseed meal into a blender. Cover with the ice. Pour in Mango Tango and soy milk. Blend on low speed to mix, then high speed for about 2 minutes, until the oats are sufficiently ground, or until you go deaf.

Yield: One pint + a little extra. Nutrition info: 335 calories, 7g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 146mg sodium, 54g carbs, 36g sugars, 7g fiber, 13g protein. Keeps you full for hours, and satisfies a chocolate craving. The fiber always makes me want to drink more water after I'm finished, too.